1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for processing for a photographic emulsion carrier, such as photographic materials. The emulsion carrier is transported sequentially through several processing stages followed by a washing stage, utilizing a rinse unit placed between the stages.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wet processor of this type is described, for example, in DE 39 21 657 C1. This reference describes an intermediate washing unit which is arranged between various film processing tanks. A spray tube assembly is located between the processing tanks for spraying the film with water for removing the processing fluid from the film. However, when the film is rinsed, chemicals are washed and mixed into the rinse water and the disposal of such contaminated rinse water is expensive and often connected with difficulties. It is therefor proposed to treat the rinse water so that the contaminants are removed so that the water is prepared to be reusable, thereby reducing the water consumption.
DE 41 05 918 also proposes a wet processing system incorporating an intermediate washing, in which the spent rinsing water is reused, after being purified, mixed with chemicals and subsequently filled as processing fluid into the processing tanks. However, a significant amount of energy is required to purify the rinse water.
A simpler approach for reusing spent rinsing water is described in DE 41 14 591. There, the water which is drained from the outlet side of a wash unit that follows a processing step, is supplied to the inlet side of a preceding intermediate washing tank.